RET Site: Engineering and Data Analytics in Smart Cities

田纳西大学查塔努加分校(UTC)的教师研究体验(RET)网站专注于智能城市的数据分析，并利用查塔努加作为城市更新和智能城市设计的先驱的崛起。查塔努加被国际公认为最具创新精神的美国智慧城市之一，部分原因是UTC和查塔努加当地拥有的配电和通信提供商Electric Power Board的贡献，后者已为超过18万户家庭和企业部署了10Gbps互联网服务，从而实现了更有效的交通系统、更高的能源效率和智能城市发展。该项目的创新之处在于，利用汉密尔顿县几个精选的以职业为主题的未来准备研究所(FRI)，为在这些FRI任教的30名高中STEM教育工作者(10/年)提供真实的智能城市发展研究经验。每年夏天，参与者将与来自不同学科的研究导师合作6周，这些导师从事以智能城市为重点的项目：电动汽车充电、绿色发动机、无人机、土地使用管理、电力消耗和路面设计。智慧城市创新对基础设施、交通、制造业和社区健康产生了重大影响。参与者将使用STEM标准，这些标准体现在支撑其研究经验的工程基础知识中，并将其嵌入基于项目的学习(PBL)模块的设计中，使学生能够展望潜在的工程师职业，以及他们可能对所在城市和地区产生的影响。通过行业伙伴关系，学生组织的参与，包括妇女工程学会(SWE)和全国黑人工程师协会(NSBE)的参与，以及通过网络、出版物和研讨会的参与，向更广泛的受众传播研究结果，该项目的交付和衍生效益得到了加强，促进了科学的发展，培养了合格和多样化的未来工程师和科学家的渠道。该项目的目标包括：(1)提高高中教师对与智能城市设计和开发相关的工程原理的研究技能和实践知识。(2)向教师提供基于项目的学习(PBL)设计和实施的相关技能和知识。(3)建立一个渠道，使更多准备充分的高中生有可能进入与STEM相关的大学学科。(4)扩大代表不足的群体对智慧城市相关基础学科的STEM参与。RET参与者将开发为期9周的PBL模块，这些模块将根据巴克教育研究所为教师设计的七条PBL设计原则进行设计。专业发展将为教师提供机会参加以STEM教育最佳实践、国家标准、PBL和工程设计/批判性思维指导为重点的会议和培训课程。在学年期间，项目组将走访课堂，为实施提供反馈和支持。参与者开发的PBL课程模块将侧重于将他们的研究经验与各自的FRI主题和年级STEM概念结合起来，以满足与其课程相关的高中标准。这些PBL模块将向学生演示工程师的真正工作，同时向他们传授成功完成当前课程所需的STEM基础知识。通过整个FRI系统的持续专业发展，每一位FRI教师都将有机会向教师参与者学习，并成为课程传播的一部分。与当地和地区行业的更多参与将使FRIS能够进一步利用这些伙伴关系，允许更多的校园访问、虚拟讨论和学生的课堂体验。RET网站还将促进和加强UTC、汉密尔顿县学校和行业合作伙伴之间的长期合作伙伴关系，并有一个具体的目标，即接触到代表性不足的少数民族。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Site at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) is focused on data analytics in smart cities and harnesses the city of Chattanooga's emergence as a pioneer in urban renewal and smart city design. Chattanooga is internationally recognized as one of the most innovative smart US cities, partly because of the contributions of UTC and Chattanooga's locally owned electric distribution and communication provider, Electric Power Board, which has deployed 10Gbps Internet service to over 180,000 households and businesses, allowing for more effective transportation systems; improved energy efficiency; and smart urban development. The project is novel in leveraging several select Hamilton County career-themed Future Ready Institutes (FRIs) to provide authentic research experiences in smart city development for 30 high school STEM educators (10/year) who teach in these FRIs. For 6 weeks each summer, participants work with research mentors from varied disciplines who are conducting smart-cities focused projects: electric vehicle charging, green motors, drones, land use management, power consumption, and pavement design. Smart city innovations have a significant impact on infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing, and the health of their communities. Participants will work with the STEM standards that are exemplified in the engineering fundamentals underlying their research experiences and embed them into the design of Project-Based Learning (PBL) modules allowing students to look into potential careers as engineers and the impact they could make on their city and region. The project's delivery and derived benefits in the promotion of science and feeding the pipeline of qualified and diverse future engineers and scientists are enhanced through industry partnerships, involvement of student organizations including chapters of the Society of Women in Engineering (SWE) and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and dissemination of findings to a wider audience via the web, publications and symposiums participation.The objectives of the project include: (1) Increase high school teachers' research skills and practical knowledge of engineering principles related to smart city design and development. (2) Provide teachers with relevant skills and knowledge on Project-Based Learning (PBL) design and implementation. (3) Create a pipeline that will result in increased numbers of well-prepared high school students that will potentially feed into STEM related college disciplines. (4) Broaden underrepresented groups' STEM participation in underlying disciplines related to smart cities. RET participants will develop 9-week PBL modules that will be designed based on the Buck Institute for Education's seven PBL design principles for instructors. Professional development will provide opportunities for teachers to attend conferences and training sessions focused on STEM education best practices, national standards, PBL, and engineering design/critical thinking instruction. During the academic year, the project team will visit the classroom in order to provide feedback and support for implementation. The PBL curriculum modules developed by participants will focus on incorporating their research experience with their respective FRI theme and grade-level STEM concepts to meet the high school standards associated with their courses. These PBL modules will demonstrate for students the real work of engineers while educating them on the STEM fundamentals required to succeed in their current coursework. Through ongoing professional development that takes place across the entire FRI system, each FRI teacher will have the opportunity to learn from teacher participants and be a part of the curriculum's dissemination. Increased participation with local and regional industry will allow the FRIs to further leverage these partnerships, allowing for more on-campus visits, virtual discussions, and in-class experiences for students. The RET Site will also foster and strengthen a long-term partnership between UTC, Hamilton County Schools, and industry partners and has a specific target on reaching underrepresented minorities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.